The Steelers have a unique player on their hands, and his role should expand greatly during the 2023 season.
The Steelers made the unsurprising selection of Connor Heyward in the sixth round of the NFL draft. There was some hesitation from fans, myself included, as to just what Heyward’s role would be. While listed as a tight end, he had the size of a running back, indicating he is more of a chess piece as opposed to a traditional weapon.
Pittsburgh has never had great success with nontraditional players in the past. They typically use them in predictable ways where opposing defenses can easily predict what happens. In previous years, a player like Heyward coming onto the field would signify a big red flag as to what the offense was going to do.
The Steelers never used him like that though. Heyward lined up as a traditional tight end, was used in motion, and even got involved as a runner. He stayed in and blocked, ran vertical routes, and blocked in space. That kind of versatile player should be a welcome addition to an offense that lacks a lot of creativity.
How should the Steelers use Heyward going forward?
While Heyward is never going to be a primary starter anywhere, he should be able to wear a lot of hats for this team. The obvious one is coming in as a fullback in place of Derek Watt. While Watt had his best season as a Steelers player this past year, it’s hard to justify his contract moving forward.
Watt played all of 215 snaps on offense over the past three seasons. He is a notable special teams player, but costing over three million dollars a season is a steep price for a player like that. Heyward has the traditional size for a fullback and can fill in on those 4-5 snaps a game.
That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t retain his tight-end role. Heyward proved to be a viable player there as a rookie, and while he isn’t a legitimate top two option as a traditional tight end, he can be a versatile third player that can be schemed up in multiple ways.
If I were the Steelers, I would let Watt walk and look to add a viable fourth tight end. A grouping of Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry (assuming he is brought back), Heyward, and a more traditional fourth tight end, this group would be strong. Heyward would also serve as the fullback and a special teams leader beyond just his role as a tight end.
The future seems bright for Heyward at this point. His role should continue to expand as he progresses as a professional. He can continue to play tight end, he should expand his role into a fullback, and he can continue to be a true chess piece for this offense. The future should be bright for Heyward in the Steelers offense.